Tina - a Movie

Yesterday I met a good writer friend in the city to watch a NZ film called TINA. Several friends had recommended it, and now I’m joining them.

It was a lovely film —heartfelt and uplifting.  Part way into the film, sniffling sounds came from my friend beside me. Then she nudged me. “Are you crying?”  Sniffle. I nodded, then realize she couldn’t see me nodding in the dark. “Yes.” I muttered, clutching a damp tissue. So it made us both cry, but in a good way, and we left the cinema smiling.

“Tinā” is a 2024 New Zealand drama film written and directed by Miki Magasiva, starring Anapela Polataivao. The film follows Samoan teacher Mareta Percival a grieving mother who begins teaching at a posh Christchurch private school and starts a choir there.

She stands out there like a sore thumb — a large Polynesian woman dressed in bright Samoan clothing in a sea of mainly white teachers dressed in dark suits and students in uniform.

When she goes to the interview, after being made to wait for hours while all sorts of other (white) people go in before her, her interview is insultingly short — they want someone “more like us.”  

But this is not a film about racism — it’s about acceptance, creativity and working together.

And being a fish out of water and triumphing anyway. Tina, the lead, is proudly Samoan, and the kids she teaches know nothing about her culture.

That doesn’t stop her — she’s a gifted teacher and she shows them how to work together, and as well as learning to sing together, they learn about themselves and grow in confidence— and her culture.

The scenes where she’s teaching are wonderful. She uses unconventional methods—which shock the very conventional teachers—and from a small handful of kids interested in joining the choir, the numbers grow. And to see them triumphing at the end is wonderful.

She’s tough, but not at all strident. And she’s quietly, matter-of-fact honest. When told at her interview “We want someone more like us” she comes back with “What? Wankers?” in such a straightforward ordinary voice that it’s a moment before the interviewing panel realizes they’ve been insulted. And by then, she’s half way out the door. 
You’ll have to watch the movie to see how/why she gets the job regardless.

It’s a long movie, but you don’t notice that one little bit. The acting is so good — especially some of the kids — and the music is lovely — it’ll make you want to sing in a choir. It also left me wanting to know more about the Samoan culture in New Zealand. So if you get the chance, go and watch TINA the movie. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Click here to watch the official trailer.